--1B Casey Kotchman still needs to gain five of the 10 pounds he lost when he missed nearly two weeks of spring training because of the flu and food poisoning. That weakness has affected his offense but not his defense.
--C David Ross says "it stinks" that the right groin strain he sustained March 31 forced him to start the season on the 15-day disabled list. But the injury has improved greatly in just a few days, and Ross expects to be activated as soon as the 15 days is up. --CF Jordan Schafer homered in his first major league at-bat, which manager Bobby Cox will take but does not prefer; he doesn't want any of his hitters straining to hit home runs. Cox wants Schafer to do what he did in his next at-bat, which was hit a clean single.
BY THE NUMBERS: 80 -- Pitches RHP Derek Lowe wanted to throw consistently in his spring training starts, to ensure that when manager Bobby Cox decides to take him out it will be at an appropriate time in the game and not because he has reached a pitch limit.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "One guy's coming off the National League batting title. The other guy's coming off the operating table." -- GM Frank Wren on the difference between signing 3B Chipper Jones to a contract extension and re-signing RHP John Smoltz.
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